Weighing majors, volleyball and happiness

I am not exactly sure where I would like to go to college, but I have requirements, expectations, and goals. As I follow these steps I will be sure to find the college that best suits me. My decision will depend upon the majors offered, the athletic facilities and location, but ultimately, my overall happiness.

Checking out career options

All my life, I have been indecisive about what career path I want to follow. In this next year I would like to focus on career development courses and volunteer work. This is partially why I chose to volunteer at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, to make sure I know what that field would feel like and if I actually want to be in that environment.

I have also found that the medical field is at its peak now, meaning everyone wants to work in that field. At first it seemed a bit intimidating, but it pushed me to work harder at finding out if this is where my heart was, so I would not take up the spot of someone who wanted it more than I did.

As I look toward college, I want to find a school that offers a wide selection of majors. I have the grades to get into a lot of colleges but I am always afraid that I might not make the right choice. I know that I will have to figure out a major to start with. I have the University of California - San Diego and San Diego State University in mind. They have amazing athletic departments while staying true to their educational reputations, which leads into my next expectation.

I have an intense love for sports, as I am a varsity volleyball player. I plan on playing in college. I will look for colleges that rank well in their division while maintaining a high value for the education. As I work to keep up my grades and play well, I have had some people try to discourage me. This only makes me fight harder, so I can prove them wrong. The way I see it, people only bring you down when you are doing something they cannot. I keep my head up and train hard everyday while studying even harder at night.

Save money and stay at home? Lastly, location is important to me only if I do not get to play volleyball in college. I do not want to be far from home and stranded with no one just because my mom may yell at me sometimes. If I can save money I will definitely stay close to home and possibly live at home.

Some people do not look at the whole picture because they are looking at the short-term goal of getting away from their parents. I am looking at the long-term, which allows me to save money and come out with a degree and less debt.

This makes me work harder because the schools that I have around me have very high admissions requirements, and because I do not want to be shipped out of state if I don’t have to be, I am determined to get into at least one of these local colleges. On the other hand, if I receive a scholarship to play volleyball, I will most likely go anywhere.

Ultimately, I want to be happy with any choice because it is four years of my life, and making it worth my while will motivate me to keep going.

MyStudentPath features articles and videos for students to help them succeed with life after high school, including perspectives of other teens who have gone through or are currently going through the same transition.